Raila Odinga Jnr and Winnie Odinga in Kibera /DOUGLAS OKIDDY
Junior, once viewed as an unlikely heir to the Odinga political empire, is quietly carving out his own political space, outpacing his sister, EALA MP Winnie Odinga.
Winnie had initially been viewed as the likely heir to her father’s political influence, particularly because of her longstanding involvement in political campaigns and her close association with Raila.
However, Winnie has lately maintained a relatively low political profile, appearing to take a back seat as Junior gradually assumes a more visible role.
Her reduced activity has fuelled speculation about a possible shift in the family’s political succession strategy.
According to former political detainee Wafula Buke, the two are yet to demonstrate principles and will only benefit from Raila’s name.
“People feel like giving the child is a way of celebrating the deceased. If I look at the two kids – Winnie and Junior – it is not comparable how Raila inherited Jaramogi,” Buke told the Star on the phone.
“Winnie disqualifies herself on not being able to take a stand, Junior is a businessman and has shown he can gravitate towards business.”
Junior has declared his bid for Kibra, a constituency his father represented for over two decades.
Speaking during a meeting with Kibra elders, Raila Junior said his supporters should concern themselves with ensuring his entry into elective politics while he concentrates on preparing for leadership.
“I’m thinking of organising Kibra post-2027, and you are thinking of voting. I’m already ahead of you. My problem is how I organise Kibra now, and your problem is how I will enter there; that is not my problem. I have already moved forward and I’m organising,” he said.
Kibra is currently represented by Peter Orero.
Junior’s bid received a major boost on Monday after his mother, Ida Odinga, endorsed his plans, giving fresh momentum to a political journey he has been quietly building since his father’s death.
Speaking on Monday during celebrations to mark her 76th birthday, Ida said she had been approached by Kibra residents to have Junior run, adding that a lion’s cub is a lion, in reference to Raila Junior.
Raila Junior was present at the celebrations as Ida called on Kibra leaders to take responsibility for mentoring him and ensuring he follows the right path.
“Now you, Kibra residents, have come to me with other things. You are telling me that ‘a lion’s cub is still a lion. If you have decided, then I don’t have much to say, but I put him in your hands. First of all, I put him in the hands of Kibra leaders. To all of you here, I leave my child in your hands,” she said.
“All of you who have come here at the front, I have given you my son. Take care of him, teach him and remind him. Many of you started with the former Prime Minister Raila in 1992. Show him the way so that he walks in the right way and does the right thing.”
Junior’s political ambitions have been taking shape away from the public glare.
His appointment as the Odinga family’s official spokesman, immediately after his father’s death, was seen as an early indication of the role he could play in preserving the family’s political influence.
He has since intensified engagements with political and community stakeholders, particularly in Kibra, a constituency that remained one of Raila’s strongest political bases for decades.
In recent weeks, Junior has reportedly been holding meetings with Kibra stakeholders at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation (JOFF), the Nairobi establishment that served as one of Raila’s political nerve centres.
He has met elders from all five wards of Kibra constituency: Laini Saba, Lindi, Makina, Woodley/Kenyatta Golf Course and Sarang'ombe, to discuss the area’s future.
Junior has also met Bunge La Mwananchi members from Kamkunji in Kibra, the Kibra fishermen group, and elected and nominated MCAs from the five wards.
He has also met the leadership of Kibra’s Kenyatta Market, as well as young mothers from the informal settlement.
The engagements have provided him with an opportunity to listen to local leaders and begin building relationships that could prove crucial should he formally enter the race.
“We had an honest and meaningful conversation about their experiences, challenges, aspirations and opportunities needed to empower them and improve their livelihoods,” Junior said after meeting Kibra young mothers.
“Their voices matter and their ideas must be part of the conversation as we work towards a better future for Kibra.”
Junior’s Kibra bid could therefore become the first major test of the family’s ability to transfer Raila’s political capital to the next generation.
Kibra is not only electorally significant but also deeply associated with Raila’s political history, making any attempt by his son to capture the seat a highly symbolic undertaking.
The younger Odinga now faces the difficult task of converting the goodwill associated with his family name into an independent political network.
According to political analyst Martin Andati, Junior has work to do to inherit his father’s political base, even as he argues that Winnie has more goodwill than her brother.
“Junior doesn’t know the networks [of Raila]. He has quite a bit of work to do. Winnie has more goodwill than Junior,” Andati said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
His growing engagements suggest that the groundwork for that transition may already be underway, even as the broader Odinga political succession remains a closely watched affair.
